While no state has proposed reinstating the literacy tests, poll taxes, and grandfather clauses that effectively ended the burst of African-American franchise during Reconstruction, todays efforts to disenfranchise minority voters are similarly unsubtle. Chicago, Illinois 60654 USA, Natalie Leppard 26 th January (Republic Day), 15 th August (Independence Day) and 2 nd October (Gandhi Jayanti). 4. Should People Who Have Completed Felony Sentences Be Allowed to Vote? While making Election Day a national holiday or moving it to the weekend would by no means be a cure-all, it could be used in conjunction with other strategies like automatic voter registration (nearly 87% of registered voters participated in the 2016 election), restoring voting rights for formerly incarcerated people and removing other barriers such as voter ID requirements and voter roll purges that often disenfranchise people of color. the Tuesday that occurs within November 2 to November 8. 325 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 200 In previous elections, that percentage was even higher. In Estonia, a national ID card (required for every citizen in the country) can be used to vote remotely. After all, what do our veterans fight for, if not for democracy itself? Most National Days are fixed, exceptions to this are shown below. Vote.org has called on Amazon, Disney, McDonald's and others to offer paid time off for employees to vote and or work the polls. Sign up to receive a weekly email update on forthcoming public holidays around the world in your inbox every Sunday. Tuesday is Election Day, but only in some parts of the country will voters get the day off to cast their ballots. Instead, lawmakers could simply move nearby Veterans Day to Election Day, emphasizing that voting is both a service to the country and a celebration of the rights and freedoms for which our servicemembers fight. Americans are working all the time. Opponents say kids arent mature enough to vote. And there is no better way to secure democracy than to ensure that everyone has not only the right to vote, but also the meaningful opportunity to cast their ballots. 0:58. However, those numbers may be attributed to a combination of factors not solely because their elections occur on non-work days. I am from Malta - a tiny EU island nation and today we celebrate the shipwreck of St. Paul on our island. First published on October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM. Sundays are the most common day for elections, but this is less true in the Anglosphere; Saturdays are used in New Zealand and Australia, and weekdays for the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Third Monday of October every four years, or after Parliament is dissolved by the. President Obama likes the idea of changing the way or the day Americans vote. Keep in mind that in the mid-1800s, the U.S. was largely an agricultural society. [27], Companies including Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Farmers Insurance, Kaiser Permanente, Patagonia, and Walmart have joined Make Time to Vote campaign, which encourages employers to provide paid time off, schedule no meetings on Election Day, and give information on mail-in ballots and early voting. Without this simple step toward turning out as many Americans as possible to vote, any reform will be incomplete. Russia's national holiday only goes back to 1992, when the Russian Federation was founded. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Examine this opinion article from Evil HR Lady Suzanne Lucas on why election day should not be a national holiday. The U.S. House of Representatives just passed H.R. October 26, 2020 / 10:57 AM While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Until 2009, elections were held over several consecutive Sundays. Before that point, states could hold their presidential elections on any day within a certain 34-day window. So the question of how you label Ireland goes back to which holiday you consider its national day. In 2018, a Pewstudy found that 65% of Americans favored making Election Day a national holiday. Many other democracies make election day a holiday and they all have higher voter turnout than we do. Think about that: In most of the world, the sense of national identity is shaped by the act of cutting, or in some cases violently throwing off, the chains of colonialism. Change often comes slowly, subtly. Consider how you felt about the issue before reading this article. Should Election Day be a national holiday? ProCon.org is the institutional or organization author for all ProCon.org pages. Turning Election Day into a national holiday would instill a sense of pride in all citizens, knowing they have the ability to cast a ballot regardless of work. Vanita Gupta, CEO of the Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights, is working to increase voter participation and decrease voter disenfranchisement. If so, how? "[Early and at-home voting] helps prevent bottlenecks for election administrators because it 'flattens the curve' for when ballots are cast by large numbers of voters," Perez said. And even if it were a federal holiday, that wouldn't ensure that all voting-age Americans would have the day off. [8], In the 2016 presidential election, 55.7% of the American voting-age population cast a ballot. And that election saw the second highest voter turnout in 20 years. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. Other countries may only require it of certain people, and otherwise make it voluntary for others. Interestingly, 27 of the 36 countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (made up largely of advanced democracies) conduct their national elections on the weekend. - Zkon o podmienkach vkonu volebnh", "The Effectiveness of Early Voting A Case Study of the Republic of Korea", "Ley Orgnica 5/1985, de 19 de junio, del Rgimen Electoral General", "Elections in Venezuela and Pennsylvania: Lessons in Democracy? A large Democratic voting rights bill that would have made Election Day a national holiday collapsed in the Senate this year when two senators refused to join their own party in changing. In some states where they don't have mail-in ballots, voting can take a lot of time out of the day. Election Day in the United States of America is the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Elections are federal holidays in Singapore, which, when combined with mandatory voting, resulted in a voter turnout of 93.6% for the 2015 election of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. By Monday morning, nearly 60 million had already voted early across the country, closing in on half of 2016's total voter turnout. Last Tuesday was election day in the United States, and this year we voted in the midterm elections. Last week his office released a list of voting rights provisions he would support. 2) Most other countries are shaped by relatively recent revolutions. Arizona, for example, allows employees who do not have three consecutive hours before or after work when the polls are open to take paid time off to vote at the start or end of their work days. Think about it. But in many other countries, the government automatically registers voters and holds elections on days that are weekend days or national holidays. All rights reserved. Veterans Day typically is about one week after Election Day so this would involve little disruption in terms of job schedules and monthly routines. There's nothing that would stop voters here from treating a Democracy Day like just another day off.". Countries that have weekend or holiday elections do tend to have better turnout overall. Read more: You can take time off from work to vote in 30 states here's the full list. If your thoughts have not changed, list two to three ways your better understanding of the other side of the issue now helps you better argue your position. By comparison,. Modern life operates around the clock. Holidays, law.cornell.edu (accessed Sep. 30, 2019), Matthew Haag, "Mitch McConnell Calls Push to Make Election Day a Holiday a Democratic Power Grab," nytimes.com, Jan. 31, 2019, Drew DeSilver, "U.S. Trails Most Developed Countries in Voter Turnout, pewresearch.org, May 21, 2018, Gustavo Lpez and Antonio Flores, "Dislike of Candidates or Campaign Issues Was Most Common Reason for Not Voting in 2016, pewresearch.org, June 1, 2017, Beau C. Tremitiere, "Election Day Should Be a National Holiday, cnbc.com, July 5, 2016, York Dispatch Editorial Board, "Editorial: On Voting, GOP Takes a Holiday from its Senses, yorkdispatch.com, Feb. 1, 2019, Tacey Rychter, "How Compulsory Voting Works: Australians Explain," nytimes.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Archon Fung and Jane Mansbridge, "Lets Vote, Party and Celebrate American Democracy on a New Holiday Called Citizen Day, usatoday.com, Oct. 26, 2018, Thomas MacMillan, "This Might Be the Best Idea for Turning out More Voters in U.S. Elections, nymag.com, July 8, 2017, Drew Desilver, "Weekday Elections Set the U.S. apart from Many Other Advanced Democracies, pewresearch.org, Nov. 6, 2018, Kathy Frankovic, "St. Patricks Day Not So Popular - Americans Would Rather Election Day a Holiday, today.yougov.com, Mar. Read more: The evolution of American voting rights in 242 years shows how far we've come and how far we still have to go. While the majority of US states have voter leave laws that guarantee certain employees a modicum of time off to vote, no federal law currently mandates that employees get time off to cast their ballots. [8], Among registered voters in the 2016 US presidential election, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule was the third-highest reason cited for not voting, accounting for 14% of registered voters who did not cast a vote (about 2.7 million people). [25], According to the AFL-CIO, 30 states require employers to allow employees time off for voting. An additional day off school would prove to be problematic for individuals who may not have other readily accessible forms of childcare. [24], People who have already suffered significant disenfranchisement, such as women and people of color, are more likely to be working those low-income jobs that wouldnt get the time off to vote even on a national holiday. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. Roughly 138 million Americans voted in the 2016 presidential election, just 61.4% of the 214,109,360 million who were registered to vote, according to The U.S. Election Assistance Commission. No: Too Inconvenient, Early-Voting Options Ample, orlandosentinel.com, Nov. 5, 2018, Henry Farber, "Increasing Voter Turnout: Is Democracy Day the Answer?, princeton.edu, Feb. 2009, Sarah Issenberg, "The Mystery of the Puerto Rico Voter, slate.com, Jan. 27, 2012, Paul LeBlanc, "Virginia Governor Makes Election Day a Holiday and Expands Early Voting,". Election Day is a state holiday in Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York. First Sunday of October. Fourth Sunday of October immediately before the end of the current mandates. Voter turnout in the U.S. is generally quite low, trailing behind that of other developed democracies around the world, according to another Pew study. Issues also arise when a persons polling place is far from their workplace or when there are long lines to vote during peak times like in the morning before work or in the evening after work. As for Denmark, it has a national liberation day and some people celebrate international worker's day, but neither is a public holiday. Consider the pandemic, which has not given essential workers more time off. 22 June 1986, 29 October 1989, 6 June 1993, 3 March 1996, 12 March 2000, 14 March 2004, 9 March 2008, 20 November 2011, 20 December 2015, 26 June 2016. It's a reminder of turmoil of the last century a very short span in historical terms and how deeply its events influence the world today. 0:00. Mail-in voting starts 1 month before polls open. Traditionally on weekends. Interestingly, 27 of the 36 countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (made up largely of advanced democracies) conduct their national elections on the weekend. There are many ways to boost voter turnout expanding early voting, automatically registering voters, and improving civic education programs . Early voting for the midterms varies by state. Sunday. Some businesses may close, but their hourly paid employees will either have to use a PTO day or not get paid.. We're familiar with how voting works in the U.S.when we vote, how we vote, who we vote forbut do you know what voting is like in other countries around the world? [8][15] A holiday for elections sidesteps the issue of a weekend election, which could conflict with religious obligations. Because of the pandemic, more U.S. voters are exploring alternatives to voting on Election Day, such as early voting and mail-in voting. People literally cannot get to the polling booth because it may close at 7 o'clock and they're working later. They stated, Citizen Day would do more than give our democracy the honor that it deserves; it would help our democracy work better. After reading the pros and cons on this topic, has your thinking changed? Maybe that could give us some hint as to the frequent foreign sensitivities and accusations, right or wrong, about Western foreign policy echoing old colonial practices. Updated: 7:01 AM EST November 2, 2020 ATLANTA For many Americans, voting on Election Day is a tradition, and some wonder why it's not a national holiday. About 54 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots in the 2012 presidential contest between Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney, according to the Pew Research Center. These efforts challenge fundamental values of American democracy and constitute a serious threat to the one person, one vote principle. This article was published more than10 years ago. It's amazing how much of the map is green, indicating countries that celebrate a national independence day every year. And some countries, like Australia, require people to vote by subjecting those who dont to a minor fine equivalent to a traffic ticket. While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted during the 2016 presidential election. In India, for example, a polling place is required within two kilometers (about a mile) of every single person in the country of 1.4 billion. But while . A simple but effective change, however, could be made in election timing. Litigation pending before the Supreme Court this term in Brnovich v. DNC, however, threatens to undermine this rule. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, 2020 North Macedonian parliamentary election, "THE ELECTORAL CODE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA. Will the party listen to them on the issues? Estonia This tiny Baltic nation is making waves for introducing something that seems completely logical in the digital age -- online voting. a list of voting rights provisions he would support. Should election day be made a national holiday? ", Others, however, are skeptical that creating a national holiday would increase voter turnout. It is very, very hard to change core American traditions which Americans see not only as propping up their democracy but perpetuating its legitimacy, he said. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Japan formally celebrates the anniversary of an ancient mythical emperor, although the holiday is mostly ignored today, due in part to its connections with Japan's ugly imperial history. With just about six in 10 voters turning out to vote in the U.S., some civil rights advocates are arguing that it's about time to give Americans the day off to vote. Take, for example, Bhutan, which every celebrates the anniversary of Ugyen Wangchuck's 1907 election as the nation's first hereditary king (yes, you read that correctly), but not its 1949 independence. Puerto Rico's voter turnout has gone as high as 80 . A large Democratic voting rights bill that would have made Election Day a national holiday collapsed in the Senate this year when two senators refused to join their own party in changing. But this arrangement began to raise concerns as travel and communication improved in the 19th century: Results from states that voted earlier could sway the outcome in states that voted later. [31]. Some say a holiday would increase voter turnout by enabling more people to vote while celebrating democracy. Britain, after all, developed its political institutions pretty gradually, so there was no real "Bastille Day" moment that defines the modern nation. I'll look into this some more and may change it on the map. Election day or polling day is the day on which general elections are held. Pro/Con Arguments | Discussion Questions | Take Action | Sources | More Debates, Election Day in the United States has occurred on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November ever since President John Tyler signed an 1845 law establishing a specific voting day for the entire country. Common reasons for a certain day are the date on which a state or country achieved its independence, or the date of the country's patron saint day. This article is about the general term "election day" worldwide. Here is the relevant passage from Acts 28: by country by date In the 2016 presidential election, 60% of the eligible voting population vast a vote; this year, a staggering 47.5%participated in the midterms, compared to 37% in 2014 and 41% in 2010, the years of other midterm elections. By law, polling day is a public holiday if it falls on a weekday. States such as Georgia and Iowa already have passed restrictive measures and many others appear poised to do the same thing. The United States has held federal elections on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years since 1845. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, while the elections to the . Senator Bernie Sanders has certainly tried heintroducedthe "Democracy Day Act" in 2018, which proposed making Election Day a federal holiday. South Korea and Israel hold theirs during the week, but have made the day a federal holiday. But some election analysts told CBS News that making Election Day a holiday is not a way to make voting easier. - Vincent Hutchings, a University of Michigan political science professor, - Gil Troy, American presidential historian, Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party traditionally it is believed to help the Democrats at the, Joaquin Corbalan / EyeEm via Getty Images, as travel and communication improved in the 19th century, being too busy or having a conflicting schedule, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, substantially increase the cost of running elections, move that would make it easier for Americans to vote, The types of workers least likely to reap the benefits. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. There is no fixed election day for general elections, although since 1986 every general election has been held on Sunday. To combat these efforts, lawmakers nationally have introduced HR1 (the John Lewis Act) and S1, which would enact a number of important provisions: improve ballot access, create nonpartisan redistricting commissions to reduce gerrymandering, provide automatic voter registration when people turn 18, allow at least 15 days of early voting,mandate that presidential candidates disclosure their federal tax returns, and require greater disclosure of so-called dark money campaign contributions. Such low voter turnout rates in the United States have various reasons why many Americans decide not to vote, but one main reason is not giving them time to vote and cast their ballots. Voters in more than one-third of the country enjoy some form of an Election Day holiday, according to RepresentUs. List two to three ways. Countries that hold the ballot before Sunday are not permitted to announce results until all other countries have finished voting. Such a change would mostly benefit white-collar workers instead of the lower-income workers its designed to help. So, focusing voting efforts to one day doesn't do enough to accommodate everyone, Becker argues. While countries like Belgium, Sweden, and Turkey saw more than 80% of their estimated voting-age population cast votes in recent elections, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population. With those options early in-person voting and more voter awareness on how to vote by mail voter turnout appears to be trending upward. If Election Day were a national holiday, how would you ensure hourly and low-income workers would get a chance to vote? Some countries, about 27 of them,make voting compulsory. A lot of people go to work, or they're in school during the weekday. But none of those states have considerably high turnout compared to those where it isn't a holiday. 5. [12], The idea that voting should be a celebration, not a chore is one argument for turning Election Day into a national holiday, according to Archon Fung, PhD, and Jane Mansbridge, PhD, professors at the Harvard Kennedy School. The earliest possible date that Election Day can fall on is November 2nd, and the latest possible date is November 8th. [1] The decision was made taking into account farmers, a large portion of the voting constituency at the time, who would not have been able to travel to polling places in winter months or during planting or harvest times. [9], Former Editor-in-Chief of the Northwestern University Law Review, Beau C. Tremitiere, JD, stated, The demands of school and work schedules keep millions of Americans, especially those with children or long commutes, from ever getting to their polling stations The ideal solution is simple: Congress should make Election Day a national holiday, or move Election Day to the weekend. [10] A holiday would allow more citizens volunteer at polling places or drive the elderly to vote, and make a difference in states where long lines at the polls keep voters waiting for hours. Countries outpacing the U.S. include the U.K, Mexico and Canada. Start the discussion over on our Facebook page, and let us know about civic engagement in your town, state, or country! [28][29], Patagonia, an outdoor clothing retailer, paused operation on Nov. 6, 2018 so that all employees could vote. Election Day as a holiday is something that exists in other countries, but not in most places in the U.S. It's an issue that comes up a lot, but never really gets much serious public debate. Others say a holiday would disadvantage low-income and blue collar workers and corporations should have better policies for voting time off. "Election day should be a national holiday" is a claim of policy because we are discussing a policy which searches a solution for the presented argument. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Countries like Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Mexico also showed high voter turnout rates by having holidays. Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey agrees. Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and New York have also made Election Day into a state holiday. Disclaimer: Dates and Events correct at time of printing but may change without our knowledge. During the 2016 presidential election, less than 56% of the estimated voting-age population in the US voted. While young people are generally less likely to vote, they are more motivated by the issue of freedom of speech than older generations. Declaring Election Day a holiday has been proposed various times in Congress; it's a popular idea. Other countries take heroic efforts to ensure that people can vote if they desire. Ralph Northam signed into law a measure that, among other things, makes Election Day a state holiday in the commonwealth. In-person polls open Sunday at 12:01am, close Saturday at 11:59pm. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider These changes would send the message that voting is not a privilege to be bought with job security and time to spare, but rather an essential responsibility every person ought to undertake. Image 2. It would also blunt the impact of many of these baldly anti-democratic movesopening the doors to the house as Republicans attempt to shut the windows. As of mid-May Republicans in 48 states have introduced 389 bills that would reduce the hours polls are open; forbid people from eating or drinking while waiting in line to vote; close voter registration on Sundays, when Black churches traditionally have organized their members to register and vote; repeal no excuse absentee voting; and create a long list of other barriers to voting. Countries like France, Germany, and India all recognize Election Day as a national holiday or hold elections on the weekend in order to increase voter turnout. Whether accurate or not, elected officials likely think that making it easier to vote would advantage one party at the expense of the other party.. Exact date set by the. Yet, few of us, especially those who have worked on Capitol Hill, harbor . It commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a reverend and civil . [1], An election day usually culminates in an election night when the results of the election are tallied and winners are announced.[2]. 4) The outliers are few but tell you a lot about those countries. [17] Countries such as France, Mexico, and India also observe federal holidays for elections. On Sunday, Virginia Democratic Gov. An ordinary act of Congress could move Election Day to a Saturday or make it a holiday, thereby giving more people more . ], ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons,", ProCon.org, "Election Day National Holiday Top 3 Pros and Cons. Some countries, about 27 of them, make voting compulsory. The correct answer is B. Advertisement Advertisement marberman marberman Even among the nine weekday voting countries, South Korea's and Israel's voters take a day off work on the day of the election to ensure higher electoral participation. Delaware Hawaii Kentucky Louisiana Montana New Jersey New York Ohio Puerto Rico Virginia West Virginia While Tuesdays have been custom for elections in the United States, Sunday is the day of. While the Republican efforts are shrouded in their supposed desire to protect the integrity of elections, there is no evidence of significant voter fraud in recent elections, including presidential election in 2020. Runoffs take place on the last Sunday of the same October. It is set by statute as "the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November.". [26] Creating laws in all states that let people vote before or after work would be more effective than a national holiday, which would quickly be viewed as just another day off to enjoy. Last modified on October 1, 2020. 14, 2019, BBC, "Singapore Election: Governing Party Secure Decisive Win, bbc.com, Sep. 12, 2015, Holly Jackson, "It's Time to Make Election Day a Holiday in Law and Spirit," washingtonpost.com, Oct. 22, 2018, BCP Associates, "India Elections 2019 - Declaration of Paid Holiday on Polling Day, bcpassociates.com, Apr.

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